About K.M.J. Azar PhD RN MSN/MPH FAHA CPHQ

This section showcases news coverage and media highlights that feature the impactful work of the Sutter Health Institute for Advancing Health Equity (IAHE). From national press to local stories, these pieces reflect the Institute’s commitment to driving meaningful change and elevating equity in healthcare. Here, you’ll find articles, interviews, and multimedia content that help bring our mission to life for a wide range of audiences. 

Sutter Health Vitals articles:

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/ai-expands-access-to-eye-exams/

 https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/can-ai-help-scale-eye-screening-equitably/ 

News and Media clips: 

Dr. Brown Educates Public on Women's Heart Health on Radio/Podcasts : Dr. Stephanie Brown, an emergency services physician at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and medical director for Sutter’s Institute for Advancing Health Equity, was interviewed for two radio programs recently on women’s heart health and hands-only CPR. The interviews are part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. Audacy Radio Sacramento Public File: https://www.audacy.com/podcast/sacramento-public-file-ee651/episodes/wear-red-day-f0f5e. Dr. Brown was also interviewed by Ms. Wanda for her Full Circle radio show and podcast. The interview is set to air Feb. 8 on Sacramento radio station KDEE-97.5-FM. 

Sutter Health Vitals articles:

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/health-systems-creating-benchmark-for-health-equity/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/walking-the-talk-health-system-leads-health-equity-improvement/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/sutter-health-and-charles-r-drew-university-partner-to-address-physician-shortage-and-health-inequities-across-california/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/sutter-hospitals-recognized-for-excellence-in-maternity-care/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/sacramento-valley-doctor-earns-health-equity-award/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/sutter-delta-medical-center-recognized-by-u-s-news-world-report-for-excellent-black-patient-outcomes/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/4-nurses-honored-for-kindness-contributions-to-field/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/black-history-month-sutter-doctors-reflect-on-careers-and-mission/ 

News and Media clips: 

KPIX 5/CBS News Bay Area’s special “Black in the Bay” featuring Dr. Angelyn Thomas, SEBMG OBGYN and Sutter Health Birth Equity Physician Lead, on Sutter’s ongoing work to lower Black maternal mortality: http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=16f144bf-9787-4e88-bbe3-095ae8ece09d 

Presentations, Videos and Podcasts: 

Sutter Health Virtual Grand Rounds for clinicians and medical professionals across Northern California: 

Hypertension Equity Among Black Patients 

Disability Health Disparities 

Proposition 35: Protecting Healthcare Access 

Collecting Cultural and Identify Data for Whole-Person Health 

April 2024: Oral presentation entitled ‘An Innovative Measure of Health Equity in Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) Use among HFrEF Patients’ was presented at the HCSRN Conference 

May 2024 (VIDEO): Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Equity Conference in Washington DC. Kristen Azar, RN, MSN/MPH, FAHA, Ph.D. (Sutter Health); Nikki Tennermann, LICSW, MBA (Institute for Healthcare Improvement); Rachel Harrington, PhD (National Committee for Quality Assurance); and Whitney Haggerson, MHA (Providence) presented on Gold Standard: Aligning on Best Practice for Measuring Health Inequities and the Impact of Efforts to Reduce Them Across the U.S. Health Care Industry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8Ur8rsrajs&t=4s 

Sutter Health Vitals articles:

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/nations-first-health-equity-nursing-fellowship-selects-inaugural-candidate/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/clinicians-latina-identity-shapes-her-approach-to-medicine/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/black-maternal-health-week-2023/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/how-existing-research-tools-may-help-or-hinder-health-equity/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/sutter-health-honored-for-safe-equitable-pregnancy-care/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/todays-research-is-tomorrows-best-medicine/ 

News and Media clips: 

January 2023: ABC7 News Errors with Common Medical Device led to 5-hour delay in COVID-19 treatment for Black patients. Video: https://youtu.be/9xe6avYupiI?si=a_dIV3PgqtiMWe3H

February 2023: In recognition of American Heart Month and Black History Month, Dr. Stephanie Brown, an emergency medicine physician at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, and medical director for Sutter Health’s Institute for Advancing Health Equity, was interviewed by KTVU about heart disease among Black Americans. 

February 2023, The Atlanta Black Star highlighted a research study by Sutter’s Institute for Advancing Health Equity (IAHE) on how bias embedded within pulse oximeters may have incurred COVID-19 treatment delays for Black patients. 

March 2023: Dr. Brown was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame. Listen to her perspectives on research helping advance a more equitable approach to testing individuals for chronic kidney disease. Video: https://acgov.org/whof/inductees/2023/Brown.htm and press release: https://www.publicceo.com/2023/03/alameda-county-kicks-off-womens-history-month-with-the-announcement-of-the-2023-womens-hall-of-fame-inductees/ 

April 18, 2023: Politico "How a health equity tool might backfire"

By Krista Mahr and Daniel Payne: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2023/04/18/how-a-health-equity-tool-might-backfire-00092385 

April 2023: Modern Healthcare: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/payment/cms-tests-payment-models-identify-underserved-communities 

April 2023: During Black Maternal Health Week in April, Dr. Brown’s first-person narrative piece was published by Becker’s Hospital Review. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/health-equity/because-of-inequitable-maternity-care-i-was-afraid.html 

September 2023: Dr. Brown’s op-ed that was published by Capitol Weekly 

https://capitolweekly.net/because-of-inequitable-maternity-care-i-was-afraid/ 

October 2023: The Urban Institute. Using Race and Ethnicity Data to Advance Health Equity: Examples, Promising Practices, Remaining Challenges, and Next Steps, The Urban Institute. 2023 Oct. 13 .  Sutter's health equity research was featured in The Urban Institute report entitled Using Race and Ethnicity Data to Advance Health Equity: Examples, Promising Practices, Remaining Challenges, and Next Steps. This work is part of a series of publications that commemorates the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Institute of Medicine report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. The report found that people of color received lower-quality health care than white patients, even when access-related factors were held constant.  https://www.urban.org/research/publication/using-race-and-ethnicity-data-advance-health-equity

Presentations, Videos and Podcasts: 

Sutter Health Virtual Grand Rounds for clinicians and medical professionals across Northern California: 

January 2023: Business Research Intelligence Network's Social Determinants of Health Summit, Dr. Brown presented on “The Role of Social Determinants of Health in Improving Health Equity” 

March 2023: Dr. Brown was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame. Listen to her perspectives on research helping advance a more equitable approach to testing individuals for chronic kidney disease. Video: https://acgov.org/whof/inductees/2023/Brown.htm 

June 2023: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) first-ever health equity conference, a two-day program in Washington, D.C. featuring the research and work of health equity leaders and government partners to address social determinants of health. Kristen discussed variation in health equity tracking and measurement practices across healthcare systems in the U.S. 

June 2023: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services poster presentation: Sutter health system researchers, including Kristen Azar, shared novel methods and intersectional approach to making health equity gaps visible and actionable. 

August 2023: Sutter Health Research Symposium (internal). Kristen M.J. Azar, RN, MSN/MPH, FAHA, PhD, executive director of Sutter Health’s Institute of Advancing Health Equity, presented a keynote at the symposium describing how Sutter researchers are working to achieve greater equity in clinical research. Azar summarized findings published in the Journal of Clinical Pathways she co-authored that help establish a “blueprint” of four critical strategies for enhancing clinical trial equity. 

September 2023: Dr. Brown’s panel at the Capitol Weekly Women’s Annual Healthcare Conference. Hear more from Dr. Brown in the podcast here. https://capitolweekly.net/womens-health-health-equity/ 

October 2023: Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Leadership Alliance convening in Boston, MA, co-hosted a roundtable to inform the development of an industry standard for quantifying health and healthcare disparities on QI dashboards 

October 2023: IAHE was featured in Modern Healthcare's Social Determinants of Health Symposium in a segment entitled "The Emerging Role of Health Equity Institutes”. The Institute for Advancing Health Equity (namely Bill Isenberg MD PhD, Kristen Azar, RN, MSN/MPH, FAHA, PhD, and Stephanie Brown, MD, MPH) participated in Modern Healthcare’s Social Determinants of Health Symposium. Two videos: pre-recorded video about the IAHE and pre-recorded fireside chat video with Modern Healthcare health disparities reporter Kara Hartnett 

Sutter Health Vitals articles:

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/addressing-unconscious-bias-in-healthcare-the-power-of-partnerships/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/health-equity-takes-center-stage-at-recent-symposium/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/study-uncovers-how-medical-device-bias-could-lead-to-5-hour-delays-in-covid-19-treatment-for-black-patients/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/new-health-equity-scientist-joins-sutter-health/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/innovation-lab-dedicated-to-maternal-health-equity-launches/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/researchers-call-for-more-diversity-in-clinical-trials/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/new-research-bolsters-need-to-prioritize-vaccination-for-hispanic-patients-early-in-pregnancy/ 

News and Media clips: 

Dec. 5. 2022: San Francisco Chronicle | Featured in the article Stephanie Brown, M.D., MPH, was interviewed by a reporter on the San Francisco Chronicle’s health equity team about the pulse oximeter study. Article published Dec. 5 https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/covid-black-patients-oximeters-17625125.php 

Nov. 2, 2022 story in Axios that highlights the FDA panel that met regarding the 

Pulse Oximeter bias issue and links to Sutter’s press release highlighting the research from IAHE; 

Sutter’s study cited by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel among the evidence under consideration to inform FDA deliberations in November 2022

Nov. 21, 2022: Azar KMJ, Taking an integrated approach to more equitable healthcare. Modern Healthcare. 2022 Nov. 21. https://www.modernhealthcare.com/opinion/kristen-m-j-azar-sutter-health-institute-for-advancing-health-equity-inequities-heathcare 

2022 Broadcast coverage in major Bay Area and Sacramento 

markets including ABC 10 and KRON 4 News which highlighted the Pulse Oximeter bias work. Links below: https://abc7news.com/black-patients-pulse-oximeter-study-oxygen-device-bias-healthcare-covid-treatment-roots-community-health-clinic/12717252/ and https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/study-pulse-oximeter-readings-are-flawed-biased-toward-black-skin/#:~:text=During%20a%20virtual%20news%20conference%20Thursday%2C%20Sutter%20Health,reduces%20inflammation%20in%20the%20lungs%20by%2037%20minutes. 

2022 Live interview on CapRadio’s Insight Show (NPR) featuring Kristen M.J. Azar RN MSN/MPH and Noha Aboelata, M.D., CEO, Roots Community Health Center regarding Pulse Oximeter Device Bias 

Presentations, Videos and Podcasts: 

October 2022: Sutter partnered with the California Medical Association, the California Primary Care Association and Physicians for a Healthy California to bring together industry leaders, community leaders, academic experts and change agents for the Unconscious Bias in Healthcare Symposium 

Highlights Report: https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/files/2022/10/Addressing-Unconscious-Bias-in-Healthcare-Report_ADA_12.2.2022.pdf 

Sutter Health Vitals articles:

 https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/communities-of-color-remain-vulnerable-for-late-stage-cancer-diagnoses/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/data-drives-health-equity-work/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/nurses-play-special-role-in-health-equity-efforts/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/preventable-hospitalizations-can-shed-light-on-health-equity/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/staff-and-physicians-provide-education-and-shots-in-arms/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/equality-vs-equity-do-you-know-the-difference/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/safely-effectively-reducing-c-section-rates/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/sutter-health-launches-new-tool-to-increase-covid-19-vaccine-equity-for-communities-of-color/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/medical-record-data-potential-key-to-unlocking-health-equity-barriers/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/nurse-leader-trio-earns-awards/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/push-for-equity-is-focus-of-new-maternal-care-analysis/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/setting-aside-historic-healthcare-distrust-to-get-covid-19-vaccine/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/covid-19-makes-it-clear-without-equity-theres-no-cure/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/healthcare-systems-goal-fulfill-mlks-health-equity-ideal/ 

News and Media clips: 

 Leon Clark, Kristen M.J. Azar, Politico. Health equity must reshape post-pandemic health care https://www.politico.com/sponsor-content/2021/01/06/health-equity-must-reshape-post-pandemic-health-care 

Jackie Drees. Sutter Health looks to close vaccine gaps with new 'equity targets' patient data tool. Becker’s Hospital Review. July 13, 2021. Sutter Health looks to close vaccine gaps with new 'equity targets' patient data tool https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/digital-transformation/

Presentations, Videos and Podcasts: 

January 2021: Cited as one of the top 20 most-read Health Affairs papers of 2020 and contributed to the national conversation on COVID-19 disparities 

February 2021: Rallier blog https://rallier.com/blogs/testing/stephanie-brown 

April 2021: State of Reform: California leaders discuss outcomes and inconsistencies in health equity 

April 2021: Pew Charitable Trusts After the Fact Podcast. Race and Research: The Gaps in Health featured IAHE leaders Kristen M.J. Azar, R.N., MSN/MPH, Ph.D., and Stephanie Y. Brown, M.D., MPH, explaining how using electronic health record information and data collection can address health disparities and translate to bedside care. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/06/04/race-and-research-the-gaps-in-health 

June 2021: Pressman, AP, Lockhart SL, Azar KMJ, Case Study: Sutter Health Measuring & Promoting SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Equity: Development of a COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Index. Virtual Health Equity Summit 

November 2021: Dr. Stephanie Brown participated in two webinars on Nov. 10 to promote vaccination among BART employees. They were very well received with 120+ viewers. Panelists included Dr. Brown, Dr. Noha (Roots), as well as representatives from SF Latino Task Force and Kaiser. 

Sutter Health Vitals articles:

 https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/change-takes-root-in-fight-against-covid/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/new-nine-month-study-seeks-to-understand-covid-19-in-pregnancy-among-minorities/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/to-address-racial-injustice-we-must-also-look-at-health-care/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/how-the-pandemic-is-changing-the-way-hospitals-care-for-patients/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/study-shines-light-on-covid-19-racial-disparities/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/moving-health-equity-from-a-buzzword-to-reality/ 

https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/building-a-path-toward-health-equity/ 

News and Media clips: 

 Godoy M. Black Medicare Patients with COVID-19 Nearly 4 Times As Likely To End Up In Hospital. National Public Radio (NPR). June 22, 2020. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/22/881886733/black-medicare-patients-with-covid-19-nearly-4-times-as-likely-to-end-up-in-hosp 

Crespo G. African   Americans with Covid-19 more likely to be hospitalized than non-Hispanic   whites, new study finds. CNN.   May 21, 2020. African Americans   with Covid-19 more likely to be hospitalized than non-Hispanic whites, new   study finds

May 23, 2020. Rabin R. Black Coronavirus Patients Land in Hospitals More Often, Study Finds. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/health/coronavirusblack-patients.html